Today's Edition
(DPA)
Firefighters are struggling to bring a major forest fire under control that broke out in southern Austria earlier this week, with the flames now engulfing the equivalent of about 150 football pitches, the fire brigade said on Saturday.
It remains unclear what caused the fire to break out near the village of Maria Luggau, near the Italian border, on Thursday evening.
Wind and dry conditions have been fuelling the flames, which have since spread to an area of 110 hectares, the firefighting command in nearby Hermagor said.
The fire does not currently pose a threat to humans or settlements, it said, but firefighting operations have proven difficult so far.
Helicopters have been deployed to tackle the flames in steep terrain, according to the fire brigade.
A nearby main road has been closed to traffic as a precautionary measure.
